I cannot sharpen N690co

I

i_am_ninja

Joined
Nov 28, 2008
Messages
103
I heard many things of how the cobalt in the steel makes the micro "teeth" alot more brittle, and how you need to strop it like crazy and work through your full arsenal of grits. I tried doing that. Didnt work. With S30v, 154cm, AUS8, and the Scandinavian steels on my moras, I could be many times more sloppy sharpening them and stropping them, and they'd still be hair popping sharp. What could possibly be wrong? :confused:
 
i_am_ninja said:
I heard many things of how the cobalt in the steel makes the micro "teeth" alot more brittle, and how you need to strop it like crazy and work through your full arsenal of grits. I tried doing that. Didnt work. With S30v, 154cm, AUS8, and the Scandinavian steels on my moras, I could be many times more sloppy sharpening them and stropping them, and they'd still be hair popping sharp. What could possibly be wrong? :confused:
Click to expand...

I have a Benchmade Monochrome in N690. Sharpens like a dream using a Sharpmaker.

What knife are you working on? Perhaps the edge geometry requires modification?
 
knarfeng said:
I have a Benchmade Monochrome in N690. Sharpens like a dream using a Sharpmaker.

What knife are you working on? Perhaps the edge geometry requires modification?
Click to expand...

I concur. I have the same knife, but I free hand. My monochrome was used pretty heavily by a co-worker who put a few dings in the edge. I steeled the edge, took a fine stone to it, took an arkansas stone to it, and gave it a final strop on loaded leather. the whole edge is shaving sharp.
 
i_am_ninja said:
I heard many things of how the cobalt in the steel makes the micro "teeth" a lot more brittle, and how you need to strop it like crazy and work through your full arsenal of grits. I tried doing that. Didnt work. With S30v, 154cm, AUS8, and the Scandinavian steels on my moras, I could be many times more sloppy sharpening them and stropping them, and they'd still be hair popping sharp. What could possibly be wrong? :confused:
Click to expand...

Might one ask where on earth you heard that? Sounds like marketing BS to me.

I have to think that either you have raised a burr or your edge bevel is not at the same angle you are sharpening. It may also be that the blade is thicker than others you have worked on. The listings I found for the XM-1 (and that include the mfg web site) did not provide the blade thickness . A thicker blade would mean more steel to remove when sharpening.

Perhaps you could mark the edge with a sharpie, then take a couple of sharpening swipes, then examine to make sure you are sharpening the very edge. Also see how thick the blade is compared to others you have sharpened. Also check for a burr using a hand lens.

I find N690 no more difficult to sharpen than 154CM and only slightly harder than AUS8. It's a great blade steel.
 
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